Monday, October 08, 2012

Vice & Virtue: Toffee Pretzel Bark & CSA Salad Recipe

I wrote the below post over the summer, but wasn't published while all the foods were seasonal. But I think it's still worth sharing, since most of the ingredients are still available, and nothing is better than a fridge clean-out turned into a yummy meal. And, let's face it, Toffee Pretzel Bark is never out of season!

Meal Monday

Recently I had the pleasure of hosting a bachelorette wine night for a friend. Not only was I excited to help my friend celebrate her upcoming nuptials. I was also looking forward to entertaining grown-ups. And their palates.

I stuck to a wine, cheese, and chocolate theme. Pure vice. Yet pure goodness. And the perfect opportunity for me to try the Toffee Pretzel Bark recipe I pinned and couldn't get out of my head.

And wow. Was it good. Dark chocolate. Pretzels. Toffee. Milk chocolate. Peanut butter. It's all in there. Fortunately I sent most of the remainder home with the bride-to-be, or it would all be in my belly.

I was not the only one pushing food that night. My soon-to-be-wed friend works on a farm, and she brought me a bounty of produce. My own personal CSA delivery.

The night of the party I quickly stashed it all in the fridge. Then a couple of nights later, I perused the goods to figure out what to make for dinner.

Beets. Fennel. Romaine. Garlic scapes. Zephyr squash. With just a little bit of chopping, roasting, sautéing, and whisking, my husband and I had a delicious, seasonal, local, and healthy dinner.

Who am I kidding. I'm not that good. Luckily, I still had a few pieces of bark left for dessert.

Line a 9x9 baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside.

In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt dark chocolate chips until smooth. If using the microwave, melt in 30-second increments. Mix in 1/2 cup of toffee chips and 1/2 cup pretzel pieces. Spread mixture in a thin layer on the foil or parchment paper using a spatula. Let the baking sheet chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You don’t need to wash your bowl or double boiler before the next step.

For the next layer, melt peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips in your double boiler or microwave until smooth. Spread the mixture over the chilled dark chocolate layer using a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining toffee and pretzel pieces over the chocolate/peanut butter. Press them down with a spatula to make sure they are stuck well in the chocolate. Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. After the chocolate has set, cut the bark apart into desired sizes. Store the bark in the refrigerator, covered.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix beets in a bowl with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mix the fennel bulb with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place on another foil-lined baking sheet. Roast the fennel for about 20 minutes and the beets 30 minutes, or until tender.

While beets and fennel are roasting, sauté the squash in a little bit of olive oil over medium heat. When the squash is almost tender, add chopped fennel fronds. Remove from heat when tender.

Place beets, fennel, squash, snap peas, Feta, and hazelnuts on a bed of salad greens. Dress with Lemon Vinaigrette.